12 Famous Artists Who Studied at École des Beaux-Arts

École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, known for its rigorous classical training, produced many artists who later became avant-garde radicals. Jean-Honoré Fragonard, a Rococo icon, won the Prix de Rome on his first attempt. Théodore Géricault was expelled after throwing water at his teacher. Edgar Degas studied under Louis Lamothe and met Ingres. Jacques-Louis David, who created propaganda for revolutionaries and Napoleon, failed the Prix de Rome three times before winning. Eugène Delacroix deliberately avoided the Prix de Rome, preferring public salons. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, trained by David, distorted proportions that later inspired modernists. Gustave Moreau, a Symbolist professor, taught Henri Matisse unofficially. Pierre-Auguste Renoir trained under Charles Gleyre alongside Monet and Sisley. Georges Seurat studied under Henri Lehmann, developing Pointillism. John Singer Sargent, an American expatriate, passed the difficult French exam and became known for society portraits. Alfred Sisley, an Impressionist, focused on landscapes and painted from memory per Gleyre's instruction. Pierre Bonnard spent only a year at the school, later joining Les Nabis.